Improvement in concussion-bulbs for fuses



GANSTER & SCHUYLER.

Shell-Fuse.

No. 42,082. Patented Mar. 29, 1864.

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Ni'rn STAiES GEO. l. GANSTER AND ISAAC SCHUYLER, OF NEXV YORK, 1*. Y.

IMPROVEMENT iN CONCUSSlON-BULBS FOR FUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,082, dated March 29, 1861.

To ail whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE P. Qmsrnn and Isaac SCHUYLER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fuses; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which.

Figure 1 is a side View of our improved fuse. Fig. 2 is a similar "icw, with the paste orcoating, hereinafter referred to,removed. Fig. 3 is a central section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in. the several views.

The subject of this invention is a fuse consisting of a hollow bulb or vessel, of glass or other frangible material,containing sulphuric or other suitable acid, and provided on the ex terior with a coating or paste composed ofchloride of potash and sulphur,or otherequivalent chemicals which will generate heat and combustion by contact of the acid, caused by the breaking of said bulb.

In order that others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, we will proceed to describe it.

In the accompanying drawings, A may represent a fuse formed of glass or other frangible material, and provided with a small neck or tube, a, having an opening at top to facilitate the introduction of the acid to be employed. This fuse is, by preference, made in the form of a bulb or pellet, as illustrated; but it may be made in any other form which convenience or experience may render desirable. The bulb thus formed is filled with sulphuric acid through the opening in the neck a, when said opening is hermetically sealed or closed by means of a blow-pipe, or in any other suitable manner. The exterior of the bulb is then covered with a paste consisting of chloride of potash and sulphur, when the article is ready for use.

This fuse is designed to be employed in connection with a shell or grenade of any size to be thrown by a gun or cannon or by hand, and to ignite the explosive material with which it may be surrounded by the breaking of the bulb, and consequent contact of the acid with the chloride. For this purpose the bulb may be deposited within a chamber separate from the main exploding-chamber, but communieating therewith through stoppered apertures, and having a small quantity of gunpowder or other explosive material and a sliding plunger or a number ofsmall bullets or balls placed therein, so that when the shell or grenade is fired from a gun or thrown by hand the 0011- cussion produced by the contact thereof with the ground or any opposing body will cause the plunger or balls to break or crush the bulb. The heat evolved by the contact of the acid and chloride will ignite the sulphur, and the latter communicate combustion to any surrounding explosive substance. This eXplo sion will expel the stoppers from the apertures leading into the main exploding-chamber and cause the ignition of the charge in the latter.

e are aware that percussionfuses have long been in use consisting of frangible tubes hermetically closed, and containing sulphuric acid and covered with cotton soaked in a composition of chlorate of potassa, sulphur, and sugar moistened with alcohol. We therefore do not claim, broadly, the use of a frangible bottle as means of carrying two substances, which, being thrown into contact by the breaking of the bottle, will thereby produce combustion.

Our invention is superior to those previously in use both in cheapness and efficiency.

The manner of applying thechloride of potash in the form of a paste covering the exterior of the bottle renders it less liable to become detached in transportation and causes it to offer less impediment to the breaking of the bottle. Its peculiar shape also adapts it to operate with greater certainty. A narrow neck or stem is necessary, in order that it may be readily closed by fusing the end; and the main part of the flask or bulb is made in globular form, so that in whatever direction a hard body may strike the ,blow will be so nearly perpendicular to the surface as to render the fracture certain.

This feature of the invention is of great inr portance in grenades or other shells which may strike in an uncertain position or direction, and also in shells wherea number of balls exterior a paste composed of chloride of potor hard bodies are en1ployed,instead of a slidash and sulphur, all as herein described, and ing plunger, for breaking the fuses. for the purpose specified.

Having thus described our invention, What T 1 i 4 4 4 we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters GEORGE P Sq'LR i T PM 611,07 I. S. BCHUX LLB.

Apercussion-fuse consisting of a pear-shaped l \Vitnesses: bulb formed of glass containing sulphuric acid hermetically sealed, and having on its CHAS. D. SMITH, OOTAYIUS KNjrcn'r. 

